Our official email is temporarily down. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
Our official email is temporarily down. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience.
The DUKE Heights Planning team works with the City of Toronto and local stakeholders to implement public realm enhancement projects that improve the streetscape of the neighbourhood, creating vibrant, functional spaces that welcome visitors and encourages them to engage with our members.
Construction along the City of Toronto Right of Way on the West Side of Keele Street from Finch Avenue West to Ashwarren Road and East Side of Keele Street between St. Regis Crescent and LePage Court between Toro Road and Four Winds Drive.
Expected Duration: March 31, 2025 - December 2025
*Timelines may be subject to change and weather permitting.
BIAs were created with the premise that local businesses working collectively through a BIA will be more effective in organizing and facilitating improvement in the local community. Therefore, creating a strong and distinct image for the business community contributing to more effective marketing of the area.
DUKE Heights motivation to highlight and promote the BIA Business district within and throughout the broader community through brand recognition is essential and at the forefront of establishing an effective business district.
The area between Dufferin to Keele, and Steeles to Sheppard is undergoing a seismic shift. The old industrial heartland of Toronto is slowly emerging as the hyper-connected new economic hub of the City. Here are a few studies and presentations conducted by the City of Toronto, and other organizations, about the changes coming to the DUKE Heights community.
The DUKE Heights area is undergoing an incredible level of transformation and development. Soon the area will have LRT, Subway and Metrolinx crisscrossing the area coupled with continuous inputs from the City in beautification. Members can also now enjoy several free services from the BIA.
DUKE Heights BIA Board of Directors were successful in reviving the 1950’s Radio Tower at 1026 Finch Avenue West which was slated for demolition in 2018. The Radio Tower, formally utilized as a two-way radio communications tower for police and emergency services has since been modernized to include the new “DUKE Tower”. A sole standing structure that features the BIA branded logo by day and a lit view of colorful strands of lights at night. A new pedestrian seating area and dedicated inaugural plaque is also located at the base of tower.
Formally, utilized as a two-way radio communications tower for police and emergency service vehicles, the Radio Tower was slated for demolition in 2018. With the intervention of DUKE Heights BIA Board, the dedication of staff and after years of planning, the Radio Tower has since been modernised to include a new sole standing structure that is now a highly recognized monument in the DUKE Heights BIA business community. The tower features the colourful DUKE Heights BIA branded logo by day, and a lit view of colorful strands of lights at night. In addition, a welcoming new pedestrian seating area and dedicated inaugural plaque are centrally located at the base of tower.
In 2018, the BIA Board initialized a wide branding campaign to distinctively showcase the BIA Business district both day and night through the introduction of DUKE Marker pillars.
Completed in 2020, the DUKE Markers align the main street intersections and interior roadways as welcoming gateways into the BIA business community. DUKE Markers are valuable civic improvements that are solar powered, environmentally friendly and sustainable catalysts that add beautification to the public right of way and contribute to achieving the overall branding vision for the BIA.
Shaping the identity of the BIA Business Community by taking the DUKE name to the streets became part of the defining vision to create a distinctive business district. The BIAs name and logo is vibrantly visible on varied street furniture elements and signage and is proudly displayed throughout DUKE Heights BIA.
Gateway Improvement - Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West
The corner of Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue now serves as a welcoming gateway into the DUKE Heights BIA. The intersection features the BIA logo and welcome sign with solar-powered lighting, a pedestrian-friendly seating area, and new shrubs and plantings. As one of the busiest intersections in the BIA, the enhanced corner landscape welcomes visitors, customers, and BIA business employees with a modern and vibrant public space.
Improving the BIA's main and interior roadways remains integral to maintaining safe and accessible vehicular, transit, and pedestrian movement throughout the area. In collaboration with the City of Toronto, streetscape improvements have been completed along Chesswood Drive and Champagne Drive. Enhancements include a resurfaced roadway, dedicated cycle track, new and improved sidewalks, DUKE Heights BIA branded street furniture, new trees and landscaped medians, and a new traffic signal at the intersection of Chesswood Drive and Champagne Drive.
Plans for a new resurfaced roadway, a cycle track, new and enhanced sidewalks, BIA branded street furniture, new trees and landscaped median, and the addition of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Chesswood Drive and Champagne Drive.
Visit the City of Toronto website for more details - Learn More
The DUKE Heights BIA Animation Project brings colourful public realm elements to the Finch Avenue West and Keele Street area, creating a more vibrant and engaging streetscape. The project features wildlife art including deer, birds and squirrels, integrated in the distinct BIA colors red, yellow, green and blue sections. The installations add visual interest and character to the corridor while strengthening the identity of the DUKE Heights BIA.
The DUKE Heights BIA Parkette has transformed a decommissioned TTC bus loop at the northeast corner of Dufferin Street and Finch Avenue West into a welcoming public space. Developed by the DUKE Heights BIA in partnership with the City of Toronto, the 325-square-metre parkette features 29 new trees and perennial plantings, custom benches, decorative paving, a galvanized steel shade structure and pedestrian lighting. A 35-metre boardwalk provides an accessible connection between Finch Avenue West and Dufferin Street, creating a vibrant space for BIA employees, visitors and the surrounding community.
The DUKE Trail has transformed a previously vacant stretch of land along Allen Road into a pedestrian-friendly urban space connecting the BIA with the neighbouring community. Developed by DUKE Heights BIA and the City of Toronto, the 757-metre trail extends along the east side of Allen Road from Sheppard Avenue West to De Boers Road and further north to Rimrock Road. The trail features a permeable eco-friendly paving surface, landscaped plantings and trees, DUKE Heights BIA branded benches and additional lighting, while providing another pedestrian connection to Sheppard West Subway Station.
Improving and promoting environmental sustainability is essential in creating balanced communities. DUKE’s Sheppard Avenue Rail Embankments Shrubs and Naturalization Project included the installation of more than 200 shrubs along key embankment locations within the BIA. This initiative complements the more than 2,000 trees planted by the City of Toronto throughout DUKE Heights BIA in recent years, contributing to a greener and more sustainable business community.
The DUKE Heights BIA continues to be a hub for transit, pedestrian, and vehicular connectivity, providing businesses with the advantage of being located in a highly accessible area. The Finch West LRT station is centrally located at the Keele/Finch intersection, one of the primary gateways into the BIA. The transformed intersection features DUKE-branded pedestrian lighting and street furniture, dedicated cycling infrastructure, landscaped streetscapes and medians, and a variety of new trees and shrubs that enhance the public realm and strengthen the identity of the district.
Visit link to Metrolinx News for drone footage of the construction of Finch West LRT - Learn More
The BIA continues to be proactive in keeping interests of businesses at the forefront of discussions and recommendations in the areas of planning and development. Part of our mandate is to advocate on behalf of the BIA Businesses and the Business Improvement Area as a whole.
The BIA hosted a public Open House followed by a submission to City of Toronto Planning of the proposed Zoning Bylaw Report recommending zoning change considerations within the BIA area.
Phase 1 of this process involves the removal of permissions for specific land uses not permitted in General Employment Areas or Core Employment Areas under the policy direction of OPA 231. This included specified land uses within all former general zoning By-laws across the City including the Former North York By-law 7625 which applies to the DUKE Heights area.
The recommendations highlighted there are two existing zoning bylaws that currently overlap in the BIA, amendments to parking requirements are needed for new developments to bring them in line with City of Toronto standards and removal of the “H” (Holding) symbol for land development on main arterial roads.
The City of Toronto commenced a two-phase review of the City’s zoning framework for Employment Areas. Phase 1 of this process involves the removal of permissions for specific land uses not permitted in General Employment Areas or Core Employment Areas under the policy direction of OPA 231. This included specified land uses within all former general zoning By-laws across the City including the Former North York By-law 7625 which applies to the DUKE Heights area.
Analysis undertaken by the DUKE Heights BIA identified approximately 550 businesses, property owners and property managers within the BIA area (see map below) who would be significantly impacted by these proposed amendments.
Access DUKE Heights reports and Toronto City Council Decision for further information:
Toronto City Council Decision – November 2021 - Learn More
Next Steps:
City Planning will report back to Planning Housing Committee on Phase 1 Zoning Conformity Bylaw recommendations and the removal of permissions for sensitive uses in 2023. Phase 2 (to add permitted uses and possibly eliminate the “H”) will be reported back at the same time as Phase 1 Review.
The City of Toronto, DUKE Heights BIA, and Emery Village BIA collaborated to undertake the Finch Goods Movement Study (FGMS). The study examined transportation and goods movement patterns in conjunction with the Finch West LRT project, identifying opportunities to improve freight movement while enhancing safety and efficiency for commuters, transit users, cyclists, and pedestrians. The study has been completed and its findings continue to inform transportation planning and infrastructure improvements throughout the study area.
DUKE Heights BIA participated in the City of Toronto stakeholder consultation process of the City-Wide Review of Parking Standards Zoning By-Law (569-2013). DUKE Heights BIA submitted a Zoning By-Law Parking Requirements Review report providing recommendations on the current parking standards.
Toronto City Council decision - Learn More
DUKE Heights BIA between Dufferin & Keele and Steeles & Sheppard. It’s the northernmost business hub of the city of Toronto powering business growth and opportunities for the city and beyond. We promote the potential of the area, provide support to businesses in the area and inject new resources to tap into the potential of the community.
#WeAreDUKEHeights
Follow Us!
The DUKE Heights BIA newsletter is published every month to provide useful updates on news within the BIA and beyond, unique offers, and free events.
DUKE Heights BIA between Dufferin & Keele and Steeles & Sheppard. It’s the northernmost business hub of the city of Toronto powering business growth and opportunities for the city and beyond. We promote the potential of the area, provide support to businesses in the area and inject new resources to tap into the potential of the community.
